Friday, January 20, 2017

Echuka – Parmalat workers meet with management

Negotiation have been held between union representatives and members, and Parmalat management days after workers were locked out of the Echuca a dairy processing plant.Workers at the Echuca yoghurt-making facility have been in negotiations with Parmalat for their new enterprise agreement since August last year.

But they took industrial action after the company applied to tear up the existing agreement to cut the workers’ wages in half, increase the length of their working week, and gut redundancy provisions.

Members and representatives of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union met on Thursday with Parmalat in Echuca for negotiations.

The negotiations will continue on Tuesday next week.

A statement from the AMWU said the workers remain locked out from their workplace by Parmalat and parent company Lactalis.They will continue their community protest out the front of the Echuca plant.

A spokesperson for Parmalat confirmed the site remains closed and that AMWU members had a productive meeting with management.

“By close of business on Monday, January 23, it is anticipated that Parmalat and the unions will propose new wording for clauses within the new enterprise agreement,” the spokesperson said.“Negotiations will continue at the Echuca site on Tuesday, January 24, at 3pm and, if an agreement is not reached, a further meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 25, at 9am.

“Parmalat remains committed to being fair and reasonable and our hope is that we can reach a resolution as soon as possible.”